Bumba
Bumba Pérez-Miles, Bonaldo & Miglio, 2014 is a Neotropical theraphosid genus erected to replace the preoccupied name Maraca, with a distribution centered on the Amazon basin of Brazil and adjacent portions of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The genus includes B. cabocla, B. horrida, B. lennoni — named in honor of the musician John Lennon — and several additional species described following the generic revision.
Species of Bumba are medium-sized terrestrial theraphosids that inhabit primary and secondary humid lowland forest, where they construct silk-lined burrows at the base of trees, within root systems, or beneath coarse woody debris. Adult leg span typically ranges between 4 and 5.5 inches, and the integument is generally dark with variable reddish, golden, or olive setal highlights on the carapace and opisthosoma. The femora and patellae of mature specimens often display a subtle iridescence under direct illumination.
Diagnostic characters of the genus include the morphology of the male palpal bulb, the configuration of the female spermathecae, and details of the stridulatory setae on the maxillae and chelicerae. As New World theraphosids, Bumba species possess urticating setae of Types I and III and deploy them defensively. Venom is not considered medically significant, and temperament is generally retiring, with individuals favoring refuge retreat over active defense.
Captive husbandry parallels that of other terrestrial Amazonian theraphosines: stable warm temperatures, moderately deep substrate, elevated humidity, and a secure starter burrow are required for long-term success. Reproductive output is moderate, and growth rates are intermediate between the fast-growing Acanthoscurria and slower-developing Andean lineages.
Bumba horrida
Amazonian Black Earth Tiger
Bumba horrida (Schmidt, 1994) is a Neotropical fossorial theraphosid of Amazonian Brazil, transferred to the genus Bumba erected by Pérez-Miles, Bonaldo, and Miglio in 2014. The genus was circumscribed to resolve the polyphyly of earlier placements (notably Iracema and Maraca) using a combination of spermathecal, tibial apophysis, and scopulation characters. Despite the specific epithet, the species is not defensively notable relative to other Amazonian Theraphosinae; the name references the thickset body habitus rather than temperament.
Bumba tapajos
Tapajós Pink Head
Bumba tapajos Lucas, Passanha & Brescovit, 2020 is a recently described Brazilian theraphosine from the Tapajós region of Pará. The species was named for its type locality and belongs to Bumba, a Neotropical genus revised in 2020 through comparison of male palpal bulb, tibial apophysis, scopulation, and urticating-setae characters. The original formal description is male-based, but the species has become recognizable in the hobby for its dark body, contrasting rosy-to-pink carapace, and calm but somewhat secretive terrestrial habits.